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If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed something interesting happen on August 9. I like hearing about what books people love and one night when I was not sleeping, I figured out the best way to ask would be for a top five (because honestly, what bookish person can pick only one?) After forgetting for most of the day, I remembered to post the tweet on Wednesday during a break at work. I also happened to post it on National Book Lovers Day which may be part of what happened next.

Here’s the original tweet and one of the first replies (so many props to some of the earlier respondents because they got so many comments as the tweet moved around):

From there I started seeing a few replies from twitter friends, book blogger types, and some authors who saw the tweet early either from me or friends of friends.

Here are some of the earliest replies. If these authors aren’t on your to read list yet, be sure to check out their books!

Then it kept going.

Replies trickled in for the rest of the afternoon and into that evening. I RTd as they came in, commented, and got on with the rest of my day.

Around nine o’clock, I noticed I was getting a lot more notifications than usual. A lot more.

While I was still able to sort through comments, I realized some authors with a significant reach on Twitter were also sharing their top five books.

As far as I can tell, it was Sam Sykes sharing that really set things off.

From there the replies started coming in faster and faster.

Then my phone started to break down under the sheer volume of notifications as people quoted my original tweet to share their faves, replied to me or to others on the tweet thread, and started other quote conversations talking about books. Twitter froze up and my phone started to overheat every time I checked what was happening.

It got so intense that Twitter prompted me to set up filters for my notifications.

Even now, months later, I haven’t been able to sift through all of the replies, shares, and comments. There are just too many.

Here’s look at some of the analytics when it started blowing up:

As I started writing up this post at the beginning of October, people were still sharing and RTing their favorite books. Since August the total impressions have jumped to 389,408 with 73,862 engagements. I gained almost 1000 new followers in the first couple of days.

Some people, including a favorite author, thought picking just five books was asking too much.

As with most sudden moments of fame, things quieted down after that first week and I was able to go back and catch a couple of the more surprising replies that didn’t register in the initial haze of going viral.

I’m not going to lie, I felt like had to lay down when I saw some of the people who had shared or replied. It was a very “is this real life?” moment for me.

In the thick of the initial madness some people were even doing other variants based on “my” top 5 books idea.

I’ll be the first to admit having anything go viral is not the same as fame. But for a week or so, it felt very similar. The support and love for this tweet was overwhelming and I got so many wonderful thank yous and compliments from people who found me because of it. (I only got one creepy message from a male identifying account but honestly, I get those without doing anything online so hardly shocking.) Still, I was hyper aware of the act of being followed on Twitter and people seeing my content. Was I being witty enough? Was I staying on brand? Was I expected to keep up this level of engagement moving forward? Just considering all of the questions was exhausting.

Things have settled down now and minus a few more followers and new replies here and there, things seem to have gone back to normal.I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to really sort through the data–Twitter isn’t kind to older tweets or tweets with thousands of replies–and this is both. If you have any ideas on digging into the data (or even finding it at this point) let me know in the comments

If you’re on Twitter and you haven’t yet, I’d love to see your own top five favorite books of all time. If you don’t feel like tweeting, let me know in the comments or just talk to me about what it means to have five minutes of Twitter fame.

This week I had an all day training, a meeting off site, and was lucky enough to go to Harper Collins’ Spring 2018 Librarian and Educator preview. In other words, it felt like I was barely in my office.

I’ve been having fun trying to be more active on Instagram so if you like pictures you should follow me there. (I’m @missprint_)

My books to read situations is getting out of hand. So it must be a day that ends in Y.

Tomorrow Nicole and I are going to see Spirited Away as part of Ghibli Fest. I’m excited!

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I can’t believe it’s already time to talk about Spring 2018 titles! Earlier this month I got to attend the Sourcebooks Spring 2018 preview for librarians and educators. The preview lets librarians and teachers learn more about upcoming books they may want to make sure to order for their library collections. At the preview we also got to hear Claire Legrand talk about her forthcoming YA Furyborn and Patricia Forde talk about her recent middle grade The List.

Sourcebooks is a smaller publisher so instead of a top 5 for each age level, here are the five books I’m most excited about from the preview:

NY is for New York by Paul Thurlby: This alphabet book features page spreads for different NYC landmarks and places–including quite a few on the outer boroughs. Coming your way October 31, 2017.

Women Who Dared: 52 Stories of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and Rebels by Linda Skeers and Livi Gosling: If you liked Rad Women Worldwide or Boss Babes or the like, check out this one. I am not the most passionate non-fiction reader but I’m excited for this collection of short pieces on different women who . . . dared. On sale now!

Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly: First book in a new dark middle grade fantasy where a girl can control shadows–except, perhaps, for her own. This book was compared to Doll Bones by Holly Black and The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill so watch for it if you like spooky, literary reads. First in a duology. Publishing January 2, 2018.

The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz: For fans of Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. A story about a boy searching for the perfect doughnut recipe and trying to sell them in his new small town. On shelves April 1, 2018.

Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy: If her grandmother’s bestselling books are made into a movie, Iris knows it’s going to ruin her life. The only question is if she’s up to the task of sabotaging the production. Fans of Geekerella by Ashley Poston and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, look out! Publishing April 1, 2018.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand: This is a bonus one because I have been waiting years for a new YA from Claire. She describes this book as the book of her heart and the reason she started writing. If that doesn’t entice you enough: epic fantasy about two queens–one with the power to save the world and one with the power to destroy it. Add this one to your to read list now and watch for its publication May 22, 2018.

Morrigan Crow is cursed and doomed to die on her eleventh birthday on Eventide night. She is blamed for every bit of bad luck and misfortune that plagues the residents of the town of Jackalfax in the Wintersea Republic.

When Eventide arrives early ushering a new Age across the realm, Morrigan is faced with the prospect of her premature death until a strange man named Jupiter North arrives. Together the two escape the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow and arrive in the Free State city of Nevermoor. Miraculously alive and possibly no longer cursed, Morrigan can make a fresh start.

With Jupiter’s help she has the chance to compete in a series of trials for a place in Nevermoor’s most revered group: The Wundrous Society. If she makes it she’ll also earn her place in Nevermoor and finally have a home and family who cares about her.

Despite Jupiter’s assurances, Morrigan dreads the final Show Trial where the remaining competitors will have to demonstrate their astounding talents–something Morrigan is quite certain she doesn’t possess. Morrigan will have to step boldly and learn to trust her new friends if she hopes to pass the trials and join the Wundrous Society in Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (2017) by Jessica Townsend.

Nevermoor is Townsend’s debut novel and the start of a middle grade trilogy. The story revolves around Morrigan’s struggle to find her place and discover her own worth. All while she completes magical tasks and investigates the strange world of Nevermoor.

This dynamic novel is filled with intricate and carefully detailed world building that brings the renowned figure of Jupiter North and the rest of Nevermoor vibrantly to life. Set over the course of Morrigan’s year of trials this entertaining and fast-paced story is filled with wondrous things like the Hotel Deucalion where Morrigan’s room changes to suit her mood, the Wundrous Society grounds which turns the weather up a notch, and even a giant talking “Magnificat” named Fenestra.

Nevermoor is filled with adventure, magic, and wonder. Readers, like Morrigan herself, will feel at home in these evocative pages where magic and confidence go hand in hand. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee, The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon Foxheart by Claire Legrand, Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi, A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty, The Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier, The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski

Kit doesn’t know why she decides to avoid her best friends Annie and Violet at lunch. Or maybe she does. Ever since her father died in a car accident, it feels like no one knows how to talk to Kit or what to say to make it better. No one seems comfortable with Kit’s grief and sadness–not even her own mother.

David is floored when Kit sits at his lunch table–the first time anyone has in the 622 days he has attended Mapleview High School. David doesn’t necessarily mind sitting alone. It’s nice to have some quiet in the middle of a too-noisy day and sometimes it’s too hard to figure out what to say to people without being able to check his notebook to see if they are someone he–and his older sister Mini–thinks David can trust.

Nothing about Kit and David’s friendship makes sense on the outside but Kit appreciates David’s bluntness and his honesty. David, meanwhile, finally feels like he’s found someone who might be okay with David being himself. As they grow closer, Kit asks for David’s help understanding the inevitability (or not) of her father’s death which leads to a truth that might end their friendship forever in What to Say Next (2017) by Julie Buxbaum.

This standalone contemporary novel alternates first person perspective between David and Kit.

David is smart and self-aware despite his lack of emotional intelligence. He knows his limitations and strengths. He also knows how people are likely to perceive him because of his position on the autism spectrum and the coping mechanisms he has employed to continue to function in a sometimes overly stimulating school environment. Kit is still adjusting to life without her father–the parent who was always the one to nurture in the past–while also negotiating life in her small town as a girl who is biracial (Kit’s mother is Indian).

Seeing a neurologically diverse male lead alongside a heroine who is described as curvy and having brown skin is fantastic and makes this an obvious book to highlight and promote. That said, Buxbaum tackles a lot in this novel with varying levels of success.

David and Kit have distinct voices but the way other characters engage with David is often frustrating and demonstrates a fundamental lack of both empathy and understanding a person on the autism spectrum may engage with the world. The fact that David’s behavior is used as a plot point for one of the main conflicts between himself and Kit makes this treatment even more frustrating.

What to Say Next is an entertaining novel with unique characters, an engaging plot, and a cute romance. Readers looking for a quick but substantive diversion will enjoy this story that blends themes of connection with grief and family. Recommended for readers seeking a romance that will broaden their horizons.

Possible Pairings: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer, The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills, Lucky in Love by Kasie West